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Q181228: Download of File from IIS 4.0 Fails on IE 4.01 Client

Article: Q181228
Product(s): Internet Information Server
Version(s): WINDOWS:4.01; winnt:4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 07-JAN-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Internet Information Server 4.0 
- Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.01 for Windows NT 4.0 
- Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.01 for Windows 95 
- Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.01 for Windows 3.1 
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SYMPTOMS
========

When you connect an Internet Explorer (IE) version 4.01 to a Microsoft Internet
Information Server (IIS) 4.0, and the IE 4.01 client attempts to download a file
from the IIS 4.0 system via a Web page, the download may fail with the following
error message:

  The downloaded file is not available. This could be due to your
  Security or Language settings or because the server was unable to
  retrieve the requested file.

CAUSE
=====

This is specific to IIS 4.0 and IE 4.01. When the Internet Information Server
4.0 computer responds to the IE 4.01 client, the IIS 4.0 system responds with a
specific HTTP header response that causes the IE 4.01 client to fail when
attempting a file download:

1. HTTP/1.1 200

2. Cache-control: private

3. application/x-unknown

IIS 4.0 supports HTTP/1.1 200 by default, so it always sends this information to
the IE 4.01 client. Also, IIS 4.0 sets the Cache-control directive to private by
default. If the requested URL has no associated MIME type, then all three
conditions are met, and the IE 4.01 client fails with the error message above.


RESOLUTION
==========

To resolve this problem, upgrade to Internet Explorer 4.01 Service Pack 1 or
later. For information about obtaining a later version of Internet Explorer,
visit the following Microsoft Web site:

  http://www.microsoft.com/ie

STATUS
======

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Internet Explorer 4.01 build
2106.


A supported fix is now available, but has not been fully regression-tested and
should be applied only to systems experiencing this specific problem. Contact
Microsoft Technical Support for more information.

Additional query words: ierelease

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbiisSearch kbIEsearch kbiis400 kbZNotKeyword2 kbIENT400Search kbIE95Search kbIE310Search kbZNotKeyword3 kbIE401Win310 kbIE401Win95 kbIE401WinNT400
Version           : WINDOWS:4.01; winnt:4.0
Issue type        : kbbug

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